Whether they are a necessary prerequisite for competence would seem another
question. In any case, it would seem too simplistic to assume that by simply
engaging children in playful activities foreign language development would
come about. How far 'fun, activities develop children's cultural awareness
remains also questionable, especially when much is carried out on the basis of
repetition rather than understanding. In fact, experience has shown that ,fun'
activities in the target language often preclude the development of cultural
awareness, at least in the initial stages of learning and many games are simply
neutral; there is nothing essentially French about 'I spy', for example.
That 'young children under ten respond without inhibitions to a new language
and absorb it like a sponge' remains an assumption. For such an assumption to
qualify as a universal it still would have to be shown to be the case if not for all
at least for the majority of children for most aspects of language learning, not
just at the imitation stage and in most contexts at most times.
3.5.2 Language Learning is 'Easy'
Claims have been made that 'young children do not see a new language as
'hard' (Satchwell, 1996). However, it is known from studies in child
development that young children, especially children under seven, are very
unrealistic in their perceptions and do have little idea of what a task might
involve (Harris, 1993). Not perceiving a new language as 'hard' does not
necessarily make children good at learning it, especially if their perceptions are
based on what would appear to be mainly Tun' experiences, experiences which
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